I love the way this podcast features young scholars from time to time. It’s exciting to hear about the latest developments in French history and see them get the exposure their years of study and dedication deserve. Gary’s work always brings fresh insights—no mean accomplishment!

This is a typical academic propaganda. They portray everything they agree with as the only thing that makes sense and all other ideas as absurd/evil. Then, they make the claim that they are “completely unbiased.” Safely inside the insular walls of academia they are free to besmirch and ridicule everyone with no fear of any meaningful pushback.

This podcast is more like profanity of French history. If you interested in something more adequate keep searching.

I’m an American who’s never had a lot of curiosity about Europe or European history—perhaps least of all the part of Europe that would have been home to my own ancestry. But then I fell in love with and married a Frenchman, and have discovered, at 40, that I have such a treasure and a treat to be able to “discover” France; it’s people, it’s history, all of it. I just finished the first podcast and know that this will be an all day binge while I do my daily routine. I love the slow and gentle pacing, especially! I look forward to learning everything this historian has to say, and probably becoming a Patreon subscriber.

Gary brings a keen sense of story-telling and unexpected insightful insights to the grand history that is France. Plus I enjoy his droll humor.

Unironic use of the term “cis” when discussing Joan of arc. We cannot support this kind of language.

Well researched, interesting details, just found this pod, am enjoying it very much.

John I Lackland of England was not the illegitimate sone of Henry II. He was a true born son of Henry and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The history detail is excellent, but it is not well suited to be a podcast due to a lack of interesting and engaging context from time to time, and especially because he rarely ever provides a year when he mentions a day (“on March 24, the president…”). Many podcast listeners are running, biking, driving, etc, which means it can be hard to keep track of extremely long strings of chronological events to remember the forest for the trees. Please give a year more frequently-and it would also provide a needed break/context/engagement to call out something else happening on the world at the time. If this content were more engaging and easy to listen to, I’d rate it a 5 for sure.

Well researched, presenter is very knowledgeable on the subject matter and presents it in an interesting way. Lost a star because he seems to have swapped from a chronological history which he started with to random topic picks (similar to History of Japan podcast)

I have been listening for a while and will continue to do so. The core history episodes are as good as any other podcast, but the more thematic episode are especially value-added. I enjoyed the recent series on the Norman kingdoms in Sicily, Southern Italy, and elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Unlike most of the reviewers, I like the guest episodes and interviews, even when I do not agree with the speakers. France and French culture generally is wide, from right to left (a French invention!). Listening to this podcast is a good way to stay informed.

Great info, but the ads are so much louder than the dialogue that they hurt my ears when the audio switch’s to them. Please please please fix the audio.

If you're a history enthusiast, then this podcast is definitely worth checking out. "A weekly history podcast that will cover France from 3 million years ago to present" is a fascinating and comprehensive exploration of French history, presented by Dr. Gary Girod and featuring contributions from numerous scholars. The podcast covers a wide range of topics and events, including prehistoric times, the Roman Empire, the French Revolution, and both World Wars. Each episode is well-researched and provides a detailed insight into the history of France. Dr. Gary Girod is an engaging and knowledgeable host, and his enthusiasm for the subject is evident in each episode.

I gave it twenty episodes because I am interested in learning more about French History. I just can’t take the attitude anymore. Everyone has natural biases and perspectives but this is over-the-top and so unnecessary. Sad.

I really wanted to like this podcast just got to the episode with his “cool” pan Africa teacher. I’m soo tired of people projecting their politics into a history show. What do abortions have to do with history? Miss me with all of the b.s crying liberal nonsense. Stick to history and keep your current politics out of it. I really really wanted to like it. And the narrative episodes have been decent it’s a shame he has to bring current issues into history

I love this podcast, and I’m not a stickler for pronunciation, but its ghee-ohm, not ghee-awm and if Guillaume didn’t have to be mentioned (and mispronounced!) 1000 times I wouldn’t care. But it’s ghee-ohm. Like Rome. and Home. And Dome. Ghee-ohm.

Wack.

Great podcast to get an overview of France from the first settlements to currently to, as of this review, the invasion of the Normans. Besides offering a detailed but approachable chronological history the channel regularly has guest authors and historians who talk about certain social movements, cultural items, and notable people. The host is good at portraying a balanced history with comments about the limits of what we know, with some moments of sharp humor.

I prefer my history podcasts to be that, rather than interviews with ideologues who hold dubious qualifications. We wanted the history of France, not radical progressive theology.

He’s a smart guy but so anxious to prove it and that he’s funny it turns me off to the show. Too much of his own opinions versus just facts. Best episode was earlier this Jan. 2022 when he interviewed the guy from Thugs and Miracles, way better podcast if you want to learn about French history

Content: This history podcast is well researched and has a very academic feel to it. The podcast is detailed and thorough with neutral historical facts. Don't expect a quick sprint through historical highlights or kings with this podcast (although those are fun too). Instead, this podcast's value comes from its educational approach to deepen your historical knowledge and the theory of history in general. Style: The host has a dry and witty humor, and he is successful in his delivery. He embraces his role as a dry yet entertaining professor who delivers his lecture with the occasional corny joke. This works for an audience who is eager to learn about French history and culture. Rate of New Episode Releases: The episodes are widely spaced out at a pace akin to George R. R. Martin's slow pace for a new novel. I believe this is because it takes time for the host to research and prepare his content. In addition, I assume the host has a day job to help pay the bills. If frustrated with the pace new episodes are released, it is good to remember that this podcast is offering high quality education material for free. If still bothered by the slow rate that new episodes are released, a contribution to the podcast might be the best way to help out the cause.

I get it. It’s easier to do interview episodes than to research and write episodes for the main history narrative, but that’s what the people want. I would rather a longer time between episodes than getting yet another interview episode, or guest host on random topics. Sequential Narrative French History Podcast please!! edit: Lowered rating, as the man is now publishing himself reading Robespierre’s speeches in a Mickey Mouse impression. What? Edit Dec 2021: More Mickey Mouse? Lord preserve us.

The French History Podcast is one of the best.

Clever and informative, telling the facts with a narrative that makes it easy to remember. French history is a hoot and this podcast sheds light on that fun, really good wit.

MaGoo isn’t referenced enough! Kudos to you, Gary, for bucking the status quo. Excellent and very informative with a low key wry wit. Duncanesque

This is a highly informative podcast that is well researched. His cadence and tone are easy to listen to and comprehend.

...this podcast really goes places. Ca marche!

Love this podcast. A treat for history buffs. Gary’s tone is very measured, and easy to understand. Nothing speedy or sensationalized. The chronological episodes are loaded with great info, and they’re so much more fun now that he’s moved into the post-Roman period. The special-guest episodes contain some absolute gems. Amazing subjects that probably would’t fit into the chronological ones--deep dives into some specialized topics. Superb work, Gary!

Your comment on the person saying it’s time to develop other skills during the pandemic shows your bias. I believe many people are doing just that because there is nothing we can do and we have plenty of time, we need to move in, why not take advantage of it and be positive? In fact there is a whole host of research on positive psychology, read Carol Dweck. Your claim on being objective on French history should be discounted. Maybe you should debunk that myth in your own myth debunking episode. But on balance your French history is an interesting listen. Thank you for that.

I enjoyed this podcast at first. I love exploring the ancient history & coming forward. I agree with the comments that others made about the monotone & the lack of enthusiasm & too many guests reading their papers. I tried to overlook that & enjoy the history but the political propagandizing was over the top for me.If I wanted to listen to political propaganda I would turn on CNN. I am done.

Overall this is very good, however at times I think the author gets too caught up in the Roman history rather than the ghaul/French history. I know the romans held great influence over history however I don’t think there should be 30+ episodes of it.

This podcast is a good find for Francophiles like my husband and me. I love the balance between nitty gritty reviews of French history by the host and guest speakers offering insight into a variety of cultural and historical topics.

The trick to enjoying this podcast is to play it on 1.5 speed. A world of difference.

The host claims to love history and find it exciting but his delivery is passionless and his story utterly lacks human connection. He seems to have great contacts in academia, and the interview episodes and guest lectures are usually worth listening to, except where he’s condescending to his guests and tells them what the most important or fascinating parts of their life’s work are. The episode with Dr. Mitchell is especially painful; she’s brilliant and human, he’s constantly moving her along and referencing her book at her. He rarely discusses or critically analyzes historical sources. This is odd because he makes a big deal about being an ”academic” and claims most history podcasters aren’t. Plus he published a book! Academics and writing are a ”lifestyle” for him. He’s very proud. He asks for money without any sense of gratitude or community connection. I tried. I did. I think I got through about 30 episodes. But I still don't know what’s happening in France, because he’s mostly talked about the Roman Empire. Even the host name-checks the podcast that does Rome’s history better. The constant timeline jumping with guests doesn't help story continuity, although they do tend to be the best episodes. If you need a good, soothing monotone to get you to sleep, this podcast is perfect.

Informative and well researched, but has two significant problems. The first one is a huge number of special guest episodes on topics unrelated to the main narrative. They hugely disrupt the flow. The second one is delivery, which is slow and monotonous, as if the author was reading from a script not designed to be delivered as a talk. Both are easily remediable.

I thoroughly enjoy this podcast. It’s exactly the scope I was looking for that includes sociology with political history. I like that he identifies the inflection points that result in significant culture changes. It’s a rich story that he tells. For example, I would have never read Caesars Gallic Wars. Gary walks through Caesar’s account in detail, with the necessary fact checks, and even pronounces Vergincentorix for me! I would like to hear more about the daily life of the everyday person. For example, what is lost and what is gained by the average Jean-Luke as the Roman influence wains and the new political order takes hold. But what sets this podcast apart are the interviews that punctuate the narrative with vivid color. Everyone should have a Dr. Taylor Marrow in their life. These podcasts are the new history textbooks. Imagine if your teacher assigned an episode for home work each night then discussed all the details in class. It’s a powerful way to learn. Chip in $5 every month. It’s worth it. I throw in $10. Thank you for the hard work.

Gary does a great job of connecting France’s history to that of the rest of the world and shows how interconnected everything truly is. I am always looking forward to more content!

Enjoy the podcast. Historian driven. Steps into the void of French history podcasts admirably.

Comes off as a podcast about Rome more than France. Caesar would be proud.

This is good leap at an idea but it very poorly executed. I have tried to listen to it but it is not appealing at all. The maker does not try to reach out to his listeners and he does not make the experience appealing to his listeners. Additionally, the maker seems very bored with the entire project, he is very quiet and does not talk about some of the most important parts of French history. He rather raves on about uneccesary parts about the country. A good and well done podcast comes from the depth in the narrative, but also to reach out to what listeners will most likely enjoy, such as storys and interesting information that will enlighten the mind to seek more knowledge. I think talking about the Neolithic Age or cave paintings is rather an unimportant subject to put in a narrative podcast discussing one of the most cultured countries in Europe. This is a poorly done podcast that had a good start.

I have often wondered why there aren't any podcasts focused on France? There was one a while back but it died after a few episodes. This one is off to a great start and long may it continue. If you are interested in french history then this is the place. Heck, if you are just a history podcast fan, like myself, then this really ought to be on your list of regulars.

A great history podcast find!!! Taking on the entirety of French history, from before humans to today, is a daunting task, but Gary is up for it! Easy to listen to and very informative!

An excellent podcast on French history, lots of fun details, engaging conversations with historians and always a pleasure when a new episode comes out

On the whole this is a pretty good series and I would recommend it. I would suggest you skip his ‘France and the silver screen’ episode. Supposedly it discusses French cinema up through World War II. However, she is so superficial that the title is a misnomer. Rather than discuss the full range of French films the guest speaker 1st concentrates on the surreal movement in it and then skips the entire 1930s to talk about “The Grand Illusion” 1937 film that she “really loved”. The entire forties is reduced to a final few minutes talking about “Children of Paradise”. Good films but this is NOT any discussion of French films during that time period. At the end she says she hopes he asks her back to do a part two. Note: he never asked her back.

I’ve already learned so much from this podcast - and I always look forward to it. An excellent history podcast. Great job!!!

Great show and well researched! Only weakness: the show is about France ;) But it is an amazing job and if you would like to learn more about France you can not find a better podcast.

Keep up the good work!

If you like history and you are interested in France, look no further. Entertaining but scholarly, with great interviews also. And the pictures he is posting on twitter right now are captivating.

This podcast is so rich in its content it deserves your full attention. Sit back and allow Gary to take you on a journey through the fascinating history of France.

This podcast keeps my drives home from school more exciting! So exciting, in fact, that I’ve decided to create my own podcast! Your Social Media pages give me life as well.